The Return
by TheLittleMerMadam
Summary: A short one-shot that takes place after Ron returns to the group in DH, a little Ron/Hermione romance and some of the sassy Harry we all know and love. Hope you guys like it!


It had been weeks since she had seen him and he thought she'd just take him back, just like that? Hermione collected herself outside the tent, listening to Harry reassure their prodigal friend through the burlap walls. She took a breath of the night air, now what? What would happen between them? She knew things had been different between them before he left, that there was something about him that made her smile despite their situation, despite the looming war and the impending deadline to their journey. At least they destroyed the locket, and they had a few leads on the other Horcruxes, but was it enough?

"Hey…Hermione…"

Harry looked afraid to approach her, not that she blamed him, and the outburst had left them all stunned.

"Sorry Harry, I just—" she stammered.

"No, no, Hermione you have every right to be angry…I just thought you should know that he saved me. He saved my life Hermione. If he hadn't been there, I would be a frozen corpse at the bottom of a lake, strangled by that bloody locket."

Her eyes darkened with understanding.

"So if he had never left…he wouldn't have been in the woods and he would have never found you."

Harry simply nodded. It was obvious that any resentment he had held for his best friend had died with the Horcrux.

"I'm just going to take first watch" Harry started toward the edge of the Wards and paused, "Maybe you should—"

"I will." Hermione assured him before watching his familiar form fade into the night. In Harry's absence she was hyper-aware of the person in the tent behind her. She could feel his indecision about whether to leave her alone or to come and apologize to her. Hermione gathered herself out of the grass, brushing the snow off of her jeans and purple jumper before casting a drying charm to leave her more comfortable and less messy when she entered the tent.

Hermione swallowed down the anxiety that was forcing its way up her throat.

"Hey…" she breathed, drawing Ron's attention away from the radio that he was desperately tuning in an attempt to find Potterwatch.

"Hermione." His blue eyes lit up when he realized she was not ignoring him, reminding her of the day in the hospital wing when he had subconsciously chosen her over Lavender. But that's what made things complicated, wasn't it? Because when he muttered her name during his drug-induced slumber, he made it clear that there was something between them…but what?

And now looking at him, she tried to read his eyes, but found them asking her similar questions and she just didn't know how to answer them. Sure she was fond of him, he was her best friend. But when Harry didn't ask her to Slughorn's party in their sixth year, it just didn't carry the same sting of Ron forgetting to ask her to the Yule Ball in their fourth. And when she learned of Harry and Ginny's romance, she didn't feel the tightness in her chest that she felt when she thought of Ron and Lavender. Yes, something was definitely different between them, something that needed definition, especially now.

"You're bloody lucky Harry stepped in just now, Ronald."

Her voice was colder than she anticipated.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. You have to know I wanted to come back as soon as I left. It was the locket, not me. You know the effect it had on me. I would've never…left you like that, had I been in my right mind." He pleaded, desperate for her to see his remorse.

"But you did, Ron!"

Hermione's voice broke from the tension that had been building inside her. The pressure of the unsaid words, and the expectations they held each other to. They were a team, a trio, and without their third member, things just hadn't felt right.

"You did and you left us here! Can you imagine what that felt like to me? To Harry? Can you just imagine what we went through? We had no idea if you made it home, if you were safe! We had to scan the radio every night in hopes that he wouldn't hear you name, Ronald!"

She remembered well the night he left. She could still remember lying awake for hours just thinking about the time Ron was splinched, and how, had it not been for her, he would've had lasting injuries. What would've happened if he encountered a similar situation, only this time alone?

Hermione couldn't prevent the emotion from mingling into her voice, causing her to catch her breath as the hot tears welled up in her eyes. She hastily wiped them away, looking up to meet his gaze again.

Ron was staring right into her soul, not even bothering to stop his own tears from splashing down his cheeks and over his nose.

"I have no more excuses for you, Hermione. All I can say is I came back, and I want to keep searching and I want to stay with you guys…I want to stay with you. I've missed you both so much, so much. I want to show you how sorry I am" he paused spreading his arms and gesturing to himself, "I've been bloody miserable, Hermione, bloody fucking miserable without you."

He looked back at her with his vulnerable, open expression awaiting her response. Ron took in her appearance for the first time since he left. Her jumper dirty and her jeans rumpled. She had her wild curls pulled into a bun that was in danger of breaking the hair band. Her skin looked more sallow, and the bags under her eyes darker than when he had last seen her. He felt angry tears slide down his cheeks, not bothering to wipe them again, wanting her to see how much he was hurting.

Rather than saying anything, Hermione dashed into his awaiting arms, causing Ron to stumble back in shock. Sobs racked her body and she clung to him as if he could run again at any second. He held her tight against him, her small frame fitting against him perfectly. Never in his life had he ever felt so right, so content. Knowing that, at least some part of her, had forgiven him Ron couldn't resist the goofy smile that consumed his features. He rested his head on top of hers for a second before she pulled back.

"I swear Ronald, if you ever, and I mean ever, do something like this to me again" her eyes darkened "I will not forgive you. I mean it."

Ron nodded in agreement, "I assure you, you will not have to worry about that…me leaving that is…"

Their eyes met again, and Ron moved his hand to cup her cheek as Hermione moved her head toward his hand. Unanswered questions lingered in the air between them, shimmering through the air like the weakest Patronus.

Ron slid his other hand to her waist drawing her closer as she brought her face closer to his, so close she could smell his spearmint toothpaste, oh how she missed his smell!

"Oh hey guys I just—" Harry froze in the doorway and the pair jumped apart, "Bloody hell, Harry!" Ron exclaimed as Harry shouted, "What the actual fuck you guys! I leave for five minutes and you two can't keep your bloody hands off one another!"

The three of them were covered in a silence so thick Hermione can hardly breathe.

She looked over to Harry, standing there bewildered but with a hint of humor in his eye, and to Ron's newly relieved face, no trace of the desperation and sadness that had been there moments ago. Maybe it was sleep deprivation, or the shock of almost having kissed the boy she had been crushing on for four years, Hermione couldn't stop the laughter. It felt so good to laugh again, to feel whole again. Like a dam of emotion had been broken down by the three of them being in the room together again.

She laughed alone for a few seconds, but was soon joined by Harry and then Ron. They laughed until they couldn't stand and tears were streaming from their eyes, leaving them wheezing and clutching their stomachs on the floor of their enchanted tent.

When the laughter subsided, they were left with a silence, but this time it was content and full of friendship.

"Hey Ron?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"I'm really glad you're back"

"Me too, mate."

"And Ron?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"I think Hermione may be happy as well"

Hermione let out a shrill laugh and swiped at her friend, who just chuckled in return, content because the Golden Trio was a Trio again.


End file.
